Go, Go, Changster, Activate
by moonswirl
Summary: Gleekathon, day one hundred and ninety-one: Mike discovers he can share in something with his little brother, Joey.


_Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a second cycle, and then a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eigth cycle, and ninth cycle._

_Now comes the tenth cycle. And since that feels like it should be special, this is what I'm doing: Cycle 10 will feature my top 15 of some favorite things from Glee. Characters, ships, friends... It will be daily ficlets for numbers 15 down to 2, but number 1 will be a 7-chapter story :) Here we go!_  
_**Coming in at number fourteen!**_

* * *

**"Go, Go, Changster, Activate"  
Mike [+ Brother]  
Sequel to "The Leaping Lords of Chang"**

His little brother was always so quiet, looking for and finding him could be a time-consuming task. Calling for him didn't usually yield any results either, but when he got desperate enough…

"Hey, J-Chang, Jo-Jo, I made lunch!" he called, walking past the stairs down to the basement. As he did, he heard… something. He frowned, turning back and moving down a few steps… music? "Joey, you down there?" Coming down the stairs, he paused and bent over to see into the room. He paused in awe at what he saw.

Joey was so quiet all the time, sitting there while Mike would either practice or just dance for dance's sake. He'd sit, and watch, but that was all. He did about as much activity as he did talking. He'd never done anything like…

Mike stayed huddled there, watching his little brother tear it up, dancing… everyone always said that Joey looked so much like Mike at that age, it could certainly be seen, watching him in that moment. He moved so well, and Mike could recognize certain sections that matched move-for-move some of what he'd been rehearsing before. It made Mike smile, he could hardly explain it.

He didn't want to disturb him, didn't want to make him hesitate, or fall back into his bubble. He wanted so much to just go to him, ask him about it… But if that made him stop…

He took a couple steps back, went back up the stairs before calling down. "Hey Joey, if you don't hurry, I'm eating your lunch…" A moment later, the music stopped, and his brother's head appeared. "There you are, come on," Mike nodded before moving back to the kitchen. He wasn't the best of cooks, but they got by, whenever their parents would be absent. They went to sit in their respective seats.

He knew the only way Joey would be okay with all this was if he was the one who decided to tell his big brother. If he knew what was going through his mind, and he was fairly certain he did, all he had to do was to give him an opportunity he couldn't pass up.

After lunch, Mike and Joey sat to watch TV for a while, and then… Mike got up, letting Joey see him head toward the basement stairs. Soon he could hear him follow. He had his iPod in the speaker dock, going through until he found the right song. When he did, he started it, stealing a quick glance to find his brother in his usual post, sitting in the stairs. Mike went along with the music, throwing in the occasional move he knew Joey had probably never seen, and might just want to try out.

"_You know this boogie is for real._

_I used to buy my faith in worship, / But then my chance to get to Heaven sli-i-pped / I used to worry about the future / But then I threw my caution to the wind. / I had no reason to be care free / No no no, until I took a trip to the other side of town / Yeah yeah yeah, you know I heard that boogie rhythm / Hey- I had no choice but to get down down down down._

_Dance, nothing left for me to do but dance, / All these bad times I'm going through just dance / Got canned heat in my heels tonight baby_

_I feel the thunder see the lightning / I know this anger's heaven sent. / So I've got to hang out all my hang-ups / Because on the boogie I feel so hell bent / It's just an instant gut reaction, that I got / I know I never ever felt like this before, / I don't know what to do / But then that's nothing new, / Stuck between hell and high water / I need a cure to make it through._

_Hey- dance, yeah nothing left for me to do but dance / All these bad times I'm going through just dance, / Hey, got canned heat in my heels tonight baby_

_You know I got canned heat in my heels"_

And just as he'd hoped, he soon spotted him ducking under the railing and leaping down to the ground at his side, joining in. It was surprisingly amazing how fast of a learner he could be, already picking up some of the new things he'd thrown in. He was smiling up to his ears… so was Mike. They stopped as the song ended.

_"You know this boogie is for real._

_Only the wind can blow the answer / And she cries to me when I'm asleep / She says you know that you can go much faster / I know that peoples' talk can be so cheap / Yeah yeah / I got this voodoo child inveined on me / I'm gonna use my power to ascend / You know I got these burning heels to use / Sometimes there's no way to lose / I was born to run / And built to last / You'll never see my feet 'cause they move so fast_

_Dance…yeah, hey! / Nothing left for me to do but / Dance / All these bad times I'm going through just / Dance…Hey / Got Canned Heat in my heels tonight, baby_

_Dance! _

_Hey DJ / Let the music play / I'm gonna live this party life / Hey DJ / Throw my cares away / I'm gonna live this party life / Hey DJ / Let the music play / I'm gonna live this party life / Hey DJ / Throw my cares away / I'm gonna live this party life _

_You know that this boogie if for real. / Got so much Canned Heat in my heels / Gonna dance, gonna dance my blues away tonight / Whoooooooo! / You know, you know this boogie / This boogie is for real _

_You know I'm gonna dance my blues away tonight"_

"Hey…" Mike looked to his brother, holding his hand out for a high five. "Where did all this come from?" he chuckled as Joey slapped at his hand – he loved clapping high fives.

"Watched you," Joey nodded.

"Yeah? Well you're getting good," he grinned. "Come on, give me another one," he held out his hand once more and Joey happily obliged. "Maybe in a couple of years you'll be the one in Glee Club," he pondered.

"I don't sing much…" Joey spoke back with hesitation.

"Well, neither did I at first," Mike shrugged, reassuringly.

"I don't… talk much," he frowned. Mike crouched down there, to be at his brother's eye level.

"That's okay, too. Don't worry about it, alright? Just like I always say, if you don't want to do it, don't do it. It's up to you." Joey nodded. "Besides, you don't need to say a thing when you're out there dancing." Joey smiled. "Is that why you like it?" He nodded. "Thought that might be it," Mike nodded back.

"And…" he started. "I wanted to… be like you," he explained.

"Hey…" he held up both hands for a double clapping high five. "You're doing a pretty good job of that. But, you know what, I saw you, and you've got your own style in there, too. That's really good." Joey smiled. "Want to go again?" He got another nod. "Come on."

He'd been right, months before, that including Joey in this might help him open up. He'd talked more now than he had in a while. He was certainly earning the place he'd set for him in 'The Leaping Lords of Chang.'

THE END


End file.
